It is not uncommon for employees who have questions about their retirement benefits to go straight to their benefits office rather than contacting the ASRS. Here are a few of the most commonly askes questions:

New contribution rates are set to take effect July 1, 2017, the start of the new fiscal year. The contribution rate for the defined benefit pension plan paid by members and employers will remain at the current rate of 11.34 percent. The rate for the long-term disability program will increase slightly, from 0.14 percent to 0.16 percent.

Public schools constitute a large portion of ASRS membership, which is why our busiest season for new retirements is summer – right after the school year ends. That leads to an increase in Ending Payroll Verification (EPV) forms for employers, so we thought now might be a good time for a few helpful reminders about this online application.

Please keep the ASRS informed about changes to your employer information. Changes such as legal dissolutions, modifications to charter contracts, employee leasing, mergers, Joint Powers Authorities, and business name changes require documentation. Updating your employer information on a regular basis is essential for the integrity of our data and to help us better serve our employer partners and members.

The ASRS employs a number of safeguards to ensure final pension payments made to members are fair and accurate. One of the final steps in the process is a full audit of a member’s account to ensure the correct figures were used in calculating the final benefit payment.

The 2017 Legislative Session began on January 9, 2017 with 23 freshman legislators and Senator Steve Yarbrough (Chandler) filling the role of Senate President and J.D. Mesnard (Chandler) becoming the Speaker of the House. The ASRS proposed 6 legislative initiatives with 5 of them passing the legislature and receiving the Governor’s signature.

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About Us

For more than 50 years, the Arizona State Retirement System has provided retirement security to Arizona’s public servants, including teachers, municipal workers and other government employees. The ASRS proudly serves more than a half-million members, including more than 100,000 retired members.